Universidad Casa Grande

This study aims to analyse scientific production on organic product consumption, identifying trends, gaps, and emerging themes through a bibliometric approach. This topic is relevant given the growing interest in health, sustainability, and ethical concerns in agriculture. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the study relied on Scopus and Web of Science databases. Results show a cubic polynomial growth in publications, with 2023 and 2024 as peak years. This rise reflects societal concern for sustainability and health, alongside research funding and policy initiatives that foster organic food adoption. Relevant contributions come from authors such as Chekima and Lairon, from journals such as the British Food Journal, and from countries including France and Malaysia. The field has evolved under the influence of the Theory of Planned Behavior and sustainable consumption, with research clusters highlighting organic food consumption and obesity. Emerging keywords reveal strong attention to diet, perceived value, and sustainability. Theoretical implications reinforce the understanding of consumer behaviour and sustainable practices. From a managerial perspective, the findings suggest opportunities to design marketing strategies aligned with conscious consumer motivations. Overall, the study provides insights for managers and policymakers to strengthen consumer trust and improve the competitive positioning of organic products.

This study aimed to identify the main challenges and opportunities of women’s artisanal entrepreneurship in Guayaquil and to analyze its relationship with economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The research involved 93 artisans from the Guayaquil Handicraft Market, using a questionnaire validated with adequate levels of reliability (α = 0.82–0.88; KR-20 = 0.76–0.81) and statistical consistency (CFI = 0.92; TLI = 0.90; RMSEA = 0.07). The results show that, in the economic dimension, the educational level of artisans is associated with the legal formalization of businesses (χ² = 19.3; p = 0.05; V = 0.32), and social security affiliation is related to the perception of income improvement (χ² = 12.6; p = 0.048; V = 0.28), reaching an average score of 70/100. In the social dimension, participation in associations strengthened family and community roles (χ² = 8.2; p = 0.041), with an average score of 75. In the environmental dimension, the greatest weakness was observed: 87.1% of artisans do not recycle and 91.4% dispose of waste with regular garbage, resulting in an average score of only 35. The overall sustainability index was 65/100. In conclusion, although these entrepreneurs constitute a cultural and economic driver for the city, public policies and training programs are needed to strengthen integral sustainability, with particular emphasis on the environmental dimension.

This systematic review follows the strict PRISMA 2020 protocol with its 27 check items, examining the academic quality of municipal training programs between 2021 and 2025. It focuses on Latin American countries such as Ecuador and Colombia. The research question addresses the factors affecting planning, work, and evaluation indicators, as well as problems in different locations, including inadequate facilities, limited access to digital technology, resource scarcity in affected rural areas, and high dropout rates, which have increased due to the gaps created by the pandemic. Of the initial number of records found in databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, Dialnet, and ALICIA Concytec, only 11 studies were included in this work. The findings show the importance of forging alliances between different sectors, sustainably monitoring the work, and conducting periodic evaluations to improve pedagogical knowledge in order to reduce social and economic disparities, so that everyone has the same opportunities in the territory. It is concluded that municipal policies should prioritize curricular alignment with labor demands, digital inclusion, and community participation in decisions made by the local government regarding training. The weaknesses include methodological heterogeneity and publication biases; therefore, meta-analyses are recommended in the future, along with an openness to gray literature for robust generalizations.

Myocardial bridging is a congenital coronary anomaly in which a segment of a coronary artery travels intramyocardially instead of on the epicardial surface. While often asymptomatic, myocardial bridging can occasionally result in ischemia or arrhythmias. We present the case of a 37-year-old woman with recurrent exertional chest pain and exercise-induced hypotension. Stress testing revealed mild anterior ischemia, and coronary angiography demonstrated a mid-left anterior descending myocardial bridge. Intravascular ultrasound confirmed extensive systolic compression with increased plaque burden at the bridged site. Medical therapy with vasodilators and beta-blockers was not tolerated due to adverse effects, and symptoms persisted. The patient underwent surgical unroofing of the bridged segment, which resulted in complete resolution of chest pain and improved exercise tolerance. This case highlights the role of advanced imaging in the diagnosis of MB and the importance of individualized management when medical therapy fails.

Objective: The objective of this open-label, interventional, prospective clinical study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal wound matrix (MWM) in moving chronic, nonhealing wounds that had failed prior therapies onto a healing trajectory. The overall response rate was the proportion of subjects who had greater than 40% reduction in size after 4 weeks of treatment. Secondary objectives included the percentage area reduction (PAR) after 4 and 12 weeks, incidence of ulcer closing, and changes in quality of life. Approach: An open-label, interventional, prospective cohort, real-world evidence study was conducted following the STROBE criteria. Criteria included chronic nonhealing wounds of multiple etiologies in subjects with extensive comorbidities. Results were compared with data from the U.S. Wound Registry. Results: A total of 111 subjects entered the screening phase and 64 were treated. Fifty-three wounds were eligible for the dataset that included 18 diabetic foot ulcers, 19 venous leg ulcers, 2 pressure injuries, 1 surgical, 1 lower extremity wound, and 12 unclassified etiologies. The objective response rate was 42%. The 4-week PAR was 34%. The 12-week PAR was 66%. Eighteen wounds closed by week 12. Innovation: MWM is a formulation technology developed to address the major obstacles that prevent healing. Results were evaluated in a patient population with extensive comorbidities that had failed prior treatments and would be generally excluded from controlled trials. Conclusion: The results from this study support the contention that MWM achieves substantial clinical improvement in a complex patient population not enrolled in clinical trials and demonstrates an advancement in wound management.

In learning English as a Foreign language, one of the skills that requires attention is speaking. The participants of this study has difficulties and participated very little when they had to speak in English. Thus, the aim of this study is to establish how self-assessment enhances speaking performance in A1 leveled students of a public high school. This action research with a quasi – experimental design lasted six weeks. The number of participants were 25, they belonged to two different classes, one of them was the control group and the other the treatment one. The purpose of this investigation was to measure the oral performance of these two groups and establish the impact self- assessment has in the treatment group. The participants recorded audios at the beginning and at the end, they served as pretest and a posttest. A rubric was implemented to evaluate the recordings and determine the result of the study. Descriptive statistics were used such as the mean, the standard deviation and the p value. Also, a questionnaire was applied to know the students’ perspectives about the use of self-assessment and their oral performance. The main findings were that self- assessment improved students’ oral performance. It lowered their affective filter as a result of knowing what specifically to improve. All of the students recognized the benefit of using self-assessment and recommended its use in class. To conclude, this technique should be applied to increase students’ self-assurance and get better results in oral performance in a second language.

Este artículo tiene como objetivo describir cómo el uso de las tecnologías y herramientas de apoyo contribuye en el desempeño académico de estudiantes de bachillerato con discalculia, mediante un estudio de campo que mejore la experiencia educativa. A través de un enfoque cuantitativo y cualitativo, se recolectaron datos de 135 estudiantes y 15 docentes mediante encuestas, entrevistas semiestructuradas y observación áulica. Los resultados alcanzados revelan que un 60% de los docentes de matemáticas consideran que las tecnologías han mejorado significativamente la comprensión de conceptos matemáticos de los estudiantes de bachillerato que padecen de discalculia. Sin embargo, se identificaron desafíos, como la falta de formación docente y limitaciones en los recursos tecnológicos disponibles, que dificultan la implementación efectiva de estas herramientas en el aula. Se observó una correlación positiva entre el nivel de participación activa de los estudiantes y su motivación, sugiriendo que las herramientas tecnológicas pueden desempeñar un papel crucial en la creación de un ambiente de aprendizaje inclusivo. Las conclusiones destacan la necesidad de fortalecer la formación docente, investigar estrategias pedagógicas efectivas y evaluar el impacto a largo plazo del uso de tecnologías en el rendimiento académico de estudiantes con discalculia.

ABSTRACT This viewpoint discusses the importance of a legal and institutional framework that makes pracademia sustainable for engagement or for the transfer of knowledge to communities that Ecuadorian universities do. It argues that a virtuous integration of national higher education laws on engagement, plus institutional conditions provided by universities, allows relevant pracademic action that fosters development. Ecuadorian law’s definition of engagement as a substantive function guides universities’ work to contribute to the development of communities. After analysing three engagement programs carried out by pracademics, it is found that universities comply with national higher education regulations. However, the achieved results also depend on the pracademics’ and university’s ability to assess actors, generate incentives for collaboration, assess the benefits and results of engaging with actors, and design engagement programs with a pracademic focus. This suggests laws and regulations regarding engagement, and its compliance by universities, as an important topic for pracademia.

Este estudio aborda las dificultades en la enseñanza de matemáticas en las aulas ecuatorianas de educación básica superior, destacando los obstáculos pedagógicos, estructurales y socioeconómicos que afectan el rendimiento estudiantil. Los principales objetivos de la investigación son identificar las barreras que limitan la enseñanza y proponer estrategias pedagógicas para mejorar el rendimiento académico. La metodología aplicada fue de tipo descriptivo y no experimental, utilizando análisis estadísticos avanzados como regresiones múltiples y análisis factorial para explorar los factores que más influyen en el aprendizaje de matemáticas. Los datos se obtuvieron de fuentes clave como la Evaluación Ser Bachiller (2019), el Informe PISA (2018) y el Estudio de Recursos Educativos (2021). Los resultados evidencian que más del 70% de los estudiantes no alcanza un nivel adecuado en matemáticas y que existe una disparidad significativa entre áreas rurales y urbanas, donde las primeras enfrentan mayores dificultades debido a la falta de recursos educativos. Además, el nivel socioeconómico mostró ser un predictor clave en el rendimiento académico, confirmando la influencia de los recursos tecnológicos y la formación docente continua. Las conclusiones del estudio subrayan la necesidad de una reforma educativa integral que contemple la capacitación constante de los docentes y la mejora en la infraestructura tecnológica para cerrar las brechas educativas y mejorar la calidad del aprendizaje en matemáticas en Ecuador.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a self-access center in students’ exam preparation skills acquisition and students’ test grades. It will examine students’ test self-regulation strategies in a self-access center designed and implemented in Moodle to provide EFL learners with a repository of organized and categorized resources ranging from A1 to B2 to maximize students’ exam results. Students’ strategies include planning, time management, goal setting and exam strategies monitored and surveyed during the class designed for native Spanish speakers learning English as a foreign language. Students are expected to use these strategies while they take a placement test preparation class in a four-month cycle. This type of class is a reinforcement course planned for students that have not reached a B2 English level in a placement test at the end of a four-level English Program in 480 hours and therefore, they need to improve language use, communication skills and exam strategies to finally reach B2. In this type of class, students complete 120 hours in face-to-face classes, and they are additionally required to complete 120 self-study hours distributed in activities in the course platform and in Moodle where they can access the Moodle placement test preparation course activities and the self-study access center resources. The study used qualitative and quantitative action research methodology. Data sources included students’ learning logs and students’ initial and final placement tests grades. Findings indicate students used the self-access center learning areas to access English learning resources, practice the language and develop exam preparation skills.